San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-08-09
SOME TOUGH ONES.
Told In a Saratoga Hotel on Two
Noted Texans and Others.

Told In a Saratoga Hotel on Two
Noted Texans and Others.
In the issue of the Daily Saratogian,
Saratoga, N. Y. July 9th, the following
write-up of well known Texans, Hon.
Thos. Ochiltree and Col. E. ID. l..
Wiokes, appears and is here repuhlished
for the benefit Of their friends In this
city:
'iThe Hon. Thos. Oohiltree, Of Texas,
called on Eli Perkins at the United
States hotel yesterday to welcome the
great writer Of fiction to Saratoga. AS
the two citizens met, Mr.. Ochlltree cor
daily remarked
We've had considerable rain lately,
Mr.. Perkins-sOme terrible rains"
"Yes, 1t has been somewhat humid
lately" said Mr.. Perkins, "but we've
had no such rainy weather as we used to
have In Saratoga. Talking about rainy
weather why in 1863, if | remember
rightly, it rained for eleven weeks
steadily. day and night"
at did"
Certainly. Vanderbilt and Charley
Wall and Hugh Hastings were alive
then. wish they were here to tell you
about it. Meyer, of Cedar Bluff, and
Moon with their guns were out hunting
for black bass during that rain, and
"You mean fishing for black bass,
don't your" interrupted Mr.. Ochiltree.
mo, sir, mean hunting. 1t rained
so hard that the fish left the lake and
were swimming through the air. Well,
as | was going TO say, Moon carelessly
left the end of his gun uncovered and il
rained so hard into the muZZle that it
h,,r thn of In,
water rose so rapidly in the streets of
Saratoga thatit flowed up the chimneys
OF the States hotel and streamed into the
air 300 feet. If the chimneys had been
longer | believe the water would have
put out the sun. | tell yOu'', said Mr..
Perkins mournfully, sit will be sad,
sad day for Saratoga if they ever build
their chimneys here high enough to
throw water on the orb of day"
"But the States hotel wasn't built In
1903" interrupted Mr.. Ochiltree.
"There you are again-always inter-
rupting. If you want to hear the truth
about Saratoga rain storms just listen.
Ii my memory does not fail me, the Rev.
Edwin Wicks, Of Texas, and Senator
Mike Wall on that occasion wanted to
catch some water and
"What did they want water for?"
Don't know what they wanted it for,
but they put out barrel without any
head in 1t, and it rained into the bung
hole faster than il could run out at both
ends"
"Did you see this ?" asked Mr.. Oohil-
tree, deeply Interested.
mo, | didn't see it myself" replied
Mr.. Perkins, "but Howard Crosby and
several temperance men from DR..
Strong's watched it till they got too near
the barrel and were drowned. Excuse
never tell about the sad death Of those
enthusiastic temperance men without
crying"
Meeting Col. W. w. Robbins, an old
acquaintance of the Rev. Edward de
Lancey Wickes, the LIGHT made in
quiries OF the truth Of this. He said it
undoubtedly WAS true, though he was
not here in that year, but Col. Wickes
was, and In subsequent years, being in
Saratoga with Wickes, one day Robbins
noticed in his bath room very old Oask
and asked Wickes what kind of wine it
contained. mo wine at all Rob; will
tell you the secret OF it, but you are
never to mention it," He then stated
the facts as narrated by Perkins. Van
derbilt and Hastings could not imagine
what WiCkes was going to do with the
barrel OF water. After they left, Wiokes
had that cask OF water taken to his
room and made 1t into brine and then
picked himself in 1t. You know
Wickes Is most remarkably well pre-
served man-why he was an old man Il
mean in years. when Vanderbilt and
Msrvine first saw Saratoga. Turnbull
and that set are all youngsters. By the
way if.you will drop in at the club will
show you quarter cask OF this same
pickle. Wickes takes weekly additions
In 1t when here.
"Do | think he will live many years
yet? Most assuredly. Is he of French
DESCENT No; de Lacey is family name.
| believe he is q descendant Of one Of
the kings who founded Atlantis all Of
whom lived many hundred years. An
revoir."